Because Of You
by SpectraVondergeist
Summary: Bex's life has never been better. She's finally married to Bowie, and has the family and career of her dreams. But will a face from the past threaten to destroy her newfound happiness? Sequel to Falling In Love With You. Warning: contains descriptions of dating violence, drug and alcohol use, and language
1. Chapter 1 A Perfect Night

"Who is ready to taste the world's best mac and cheese?" Bowie asked, grinning his signature dimpled grin.

"I am." Andi raised her hand playfully. "I'm starved!" Bex watched her daughter take her seat at the kitchen table, as her father served her the first plate.

"How about you, babe?" Bowie asked her, holding up his favorite oversized serving spoon.

Bex wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "You know I love everything you make." She took her seat at the table, right between him and Andi, pausing to ruffle her daughter's hair.

"This is delicious," Andi mumbled, her mouth full. Bex and Bowie looked up to smile at each other.

"That's your grandma Cookie's recipe," Bowie told the young girl. "I'll have to let her know you approve."

Bex's took a bite of food, feeling warm inside and out. Ever since Bowie had moved in with she and Andi, and they'd gotten married, their apartment was full of laughter, music, and delicious food that she didn't have to cook herself.

For the first time in many years, Bex felt as if she'd found her safe place to land. Her family was her happy place.

She watched Bowie serve himself and sit down. He was so adorable. His wild, golden brown curls were pulled back in a ponytail, and he wore a "Kiss The Cook" apron. Nothing made him happier than cooking for the family.

As they ate, he slipped his hand into hers, squeezing her fingers. "How was your day, honey?"

"It was good," she nodded. "Mom and I finally set up a FacePage account for Cloud 10, and we've already booked some new clients. The paper is running a story about the salon next week, too."

"Mom, you're becoming a total boss," Andi commented, taking a sip of water.

"We're proud of you, babe," Bowie said, patting her knee.

Bex blushed, pleased. Her business had flourished over the past few months. She almost had more appointments than she could handle. But it felt good, knowing her life was finally coming together, and she didn't have to struggle so much to provide for Andi. Andi would be going to an amazing high school next year. Something she would never have been able to give her when she first came home, with nothing to call her own except a used motorcycle and a box of old pictures. It felt good, knowing she was doing right by her daughter, who deserved the world. And she wanted to give her everything life had to offer.

After they ate, Andi settled down in the living room to do her homework, and Bex and Bowie did the dishes together, him washing, and her drying. When they were done cleaning up, Bowie popped a big bowl of popcorn, and divided it into three smaller bowls. His had extra (extra) butter, Bex's had light butter and peanut M&Ms mixed in, and Andi's was plain. He clapped his hands together. "Almost time for _Roommates! _Come on, ladies! Butts on the couch!"

"I'll get drinks!" Andi announced. She took three cans of root beer from the fridge, and hurried to her favorite spot on the end of the sofa. Bowie sat on the other. He patted the middle cushion, looking up at Bex. "Get in your spot."

"Finnne," she teased, pretending to roll her eyes. "I guess I could." She flopped down in between him and Andi.

"Everyone ready?" he asked. "Everyone got their snacks?" He took his TV watching very seriously. "Andi? You got your dry, tasteless popcorn?"

"This is how I like it!" she insisted, wrapping herself in her favorite blanket and cracking her soda open.

Bowie clicked the TV on, and tuned it in to_ Roommates_, their favorite sitcom. As the show's theme song began, he draped his arm around Bex's shoulder. "You want to share my blanket?"

"If you're offering," she answered, with a smile.

He draped the brown blanket on his lap over her legs, and she snuggled closer to him, balancing her bowl in her lap. Her phone pinged, signaling a notification, but she ignored it. She was too comfortable to move. It was probably just telling her that Celia had made a new move on _Words With Buddies_, anyway.

Bowie laughed along with the laugh-track, repeating his favorite character's catchphrase.

Andi groaned, pretending to be annoyed, and lay her head on Bex's shoulder. "Do you guys always have to repeat the lines?"

"You know you love it," Bex laughed, smoothing back her daughter's short hair. Her phone pinged again in her pocket. Again, she ignored it.

When the show finally ended. Andi yawned, sitting up. "I think I'm gonna take a shower and head to bed now."

"So early?" Bex teased. "Nerd alert!" Bowie chuckled beside her.

"Hey! Say what you will, but _I _wake up refreshed and ready to start my day," Andi said. "Not grouchy and tired like _some _people." She pretended to cough. _"Mom."_

"You got me there," Bex laughed. "Come here, and let me kiss you goodnight first."

Andi knelt down and wrapped her arms around her mother. Bex hugged her tight and gave her a kiss. "Goodnight, kid. I love you," she said, patting her on the back.

"Love you too," Andi said. "Goodnight, mom."

Bowie held his arms out for their daughter, and pulled Andi into a bear hug. "Goodnight, princess." He planted a kiss on her cheek. "I love you."

"Goodnight, daddy," Andi said. "I love you."

Bex smiled to herself. Bowie had told her a few weeks before that one of the best parts of being married was being around to say goodnight to Andi every night. His relationship with their daughter melted her heart.

Once Andi had left the room, Bowie reached out to run his fingers through Bex's hair, gently untangling it. She snuggled into his side, closing her eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" Bowie whispered.

"How much I love you," she replied. "How much I love our life."

He pressed his lips to her hairline and gave her a soft kiss. "I love it too. And I love _you."_

He stood up, and got their bedding from the closet. Someday, hopefully soon, they would finally have their own bedroom. For now, they still had a gaping hole in the living room wall. But it was a start.

Bex rose to her feet and pulled out the sofa bed. As she did so, she remembered her phone. She took it from her pocket and scrolled through her notifications. She had two new messages. She opened them up and read through them.

_Bex. It's Gabriel._

_I've been thinking about you._

Bex's blood turned to ice as she stared at her phone screen. She was hoping never to see that name again, hoping he would never find her. But somehow, he had. She looked around the room, suddenly feeling restless, as if someone were watching her.

When she composed herself enough to think, she quickly typed a reply. _What do you want?_

Three dots appeared on the screen, signaling that he was typing. _I want to see you._


	2. Chapter 2 Back to the Beginning

**Note: This story takes place in the same "universe" as my previous story, **Falling In Love With You**. If you haven't read that story, you may want to, to fully understand the events in this story. **

Bex climbed into bed, beside Bowie. She felt chilled, and her pulse hadn't yet gone back to normal. She tried to take a few deep breaths to calm herself, but her thoughts raced through her mind like a dark poem.

She had hoped Gabriel would never contact her. He didn't belong in her new life. She thought she'd put him in his place for good, when she and Andi had put his taped together photo away in the bottom of her memory box. Seeing his name, knowing he was thinking about her, felt like a nightmare.

If he had found her online, could he find out where she lived? Would he try to come see her? Her stomach clenched. She tried to close her eyes, but when she did, all she could see were his mocking black eyes.

She could have easily blocked him from contacting her, and she knew she should. But for some reason, she couldn't. It was like he had her under a spell. Just like he had thirteen years ago.

**Then:**

"You are _so _hot," Gabriel whispered in Bex's ear. His breath was steamy against her neck. He traced his finger up her spine, and pulled her closer for a kiss.

Bex wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. She couldn't believe she had hooked up with a guy she'd just met, at a party, in a stranger's bedroom. She had only known Gabriel for a few hours.

"You're not so bad yourself," she whispered back. It was true. He was incredibly sexy, with dark, dark eyes, and a slim, muscular body. His hair was jet black, almost midnight blue.

He kissed her neck, suckling on the skin below her ear. She moaned softly as he nibbled at her throat. It felt so good to be in someone's arms again, to not feel completely alone in the world. But at the same time, grief mingled with her pleasure. Because as hard as she tried to deny it, she couldn't help but feel like she was cheating on Bowie.

It was ridiculous, she knew. Bowie had _left _her. Wherever he was, chances are he wasn't thinking about her. He hadn't even contacted her, like he _promised_ he would. He'd probably slept with dozens of other girls since he'd left. Why shouldn't she be allowed to move on, too?

She winced when Gabriel bit her neck a little too hard. "Ouch."

He lifted his head up. "Sorry, baby." He kissed her cheek. "Do you want to head over to my place now?"

"Sounds good." The craziest part of all of this was not that Bex was already sleeping with Gabriel, but that she was moving in with him. But she had no choice. She had nowhere else to go.

She sat up and gathered her discarded clothes. Gabriel rolled over and did the same. She noticed a tattoo on the small of his back, but she couldn't quite make out what it was in the darkened bedroom.

Once they were dressed, they went downstairs. The party had only gotten wilder since they'd retreated to the empty bedroom. Bex looked around for Emily, but she couldn't find her.

"Don't worry about your friend," Gabriel said. "She probably went home with someone. I'll run you to her place to get your things."

"Okay," she said, taking one more glance around the smoky room. She followed him to his car.

* * *

They drove the short ride to Emily and Tori's building, and Bex let herself in their apartment with the spare key Emily had given her. Tori was sitting in the living room, but Bex ignored her. She found her duffel bag, and started stuffing her belongings inside.

"What are you doing?" Tori asked her, looking her over curiously.

"Moving out. Like you wanted me too. Remember?" She didn't waste a glance on Tori, who had been hostile to her since she'd arrived a week before.

"Moving out where?" the other girl asked.

"None of your business," she snapped. "I'll be back for my bike in the morning. When Emily comes home, tell I'm fine and I'll see her tomorrow." She shouldered her bag, and walked out.

* * *

"Here we are," Gabriel said, pulling up in front of an older apartment building. It was a bit run down, but Bex decided not to judge it by how it looked on the outside. She grabbed her bag and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"Here. Let me carry that for you." He took her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Geez. What do you have in here, a dead body?"

Bex shrugged, smiling mysteriously. "Maybe."

He chuckled. "My apartment is downstairs. Come on." He led her through a dimly lit hallway, and down a flight of stone stairs, to the basement level of the building. The stairway smelled like stale cigarettes. "Here we are," he said, when they reached a door at the bottom of the stairs. "Home sweet home."

Tears stung Bex's eyes, but she quickly blinked them away, as her mind went back to the first time she'd visited Bowie's house. Everything reminded her of Bowie. And thinking of him made her think of Andi.

She pushed Bowie out of her mind once again, and followed Gabriel inside. She had to admit, his apartment wasn't bad. Actually, it was pretty nice.

It was small. The kitchen and living room shared a space. There was a door that opened into a small bedroom, and another that opened into a bathroom. Everything was neat and tidy.

"What do you think?" he asked her, flipping on the lights. "I know it's not much."

"It's nice," she nodded. "I like it."

"You look surprised," he said. "What are you thinking?"

"It's just not what I expected a guy's apartment to look like," she admitted. "I expected it to be kind of messy, I guess."

He laughed. "I'm a little bit of a neat freak, as you can probably tell."

"Is it okay if I freshen up?" she asked, nervously chewing on her bottom lip.

"Of course," he said, setting her bag down. "I want you to make yourself at home."

She crouched down on the floor, and shyly unzipped her bag, rummaging for her toothbrush and night clothes. When she found them, she went into the bathroom. Like the rest of the apartment, it was neat as a pin. Gabriel's toiletries were lined up precisely on the counter. The mirror didn't even have a streak on it.

She undressed and took a warm shower, then stepped out onto the cold tiles. The mirror above the sink was steamed up. She wiped it clean with her hand.

As she brushed her teeth, she studied herself in the mirror. She had dark circles under her eyes. A purplish bruise was forming on her neck, where Gabriel had bitten her. She touched her fingertips to it, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. Tears blurred her reflection. This time of night was when she missed home and her family the most. Especially Andi. She ached for her baby.

"Are you alright in there?" Gabriel asked softly, coming to the bathroom door. He frowned deeply. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I'm just scared," Bex admitted, sniffling.

Gabriel sighed and took her into his arms, giving her a tight hug. Then, he placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. "It's going to be okay," he said, brushing her tears away, looking deep into her eyes. "You're with me now. And I'm going to take good care of you."


	3. Chapter 3 Forced Family Fun

Chapter 3. Forced Family Fun

**12 years earlier:**

"Are you okay?" Emily asked, hugging Bex. "I'm sorry we got separated last night."

"I'm fine," Bex said quickly. "Don't worry about me." She glanced back at Gabriel, who was standing behind her. He gave her a small nod and a smile.

Emily looked past Bex's shoulder, frowning. "You're moving in with him?" she whispered. "Who is he? How do you even know him?"

"We met at the party," Bex told her. "He has an apartment, a few minutes away. He's letting me stay with him rent-free."

Emily pulled her closer, holding both her hands. "Bex, you don't have to leave. Honestly. You can stay with us. I want you to."

"Yeah, but your _roommate _doesn't want me to," Bex reminded her.

"I don't care about her," Emily said. _"You're_ my best friend. _You_ come first."

"I appreciate that," Bex told her. "But I need to do this. I can't sponge off of you forever. I just came to get my bike." She paused for a moment. "Is it okay if I use your phone too while I'm here?"

"Sure," Emily nodded. "Everything okay?"

"I want to call home and talk to Andi," Bex explained in a whisper. "I'll call collect."

"You can use our phone to call Andi any time you want," Emily told her. "You don't even have to ask."

"You're the best, Em," Bex said. She turned back to Gabriel. "I'll be right back. I need to look for something I think I left in the apartment."

"Do you need any help?" he asked, eyeing her curiously.

"No, I'm good," she assured him. "I'll just be a few minutes."

She followed Emily up to her apartment, and sat down by the phone. She dialed the familiar phone number. Amazingly, Celia accepted the charges and answered. "Rebecca?"

"Hi, mom," Bex said, shyly. It always felt so strange talking to her parents now. They always sounded so far away. "How are you?"

"Fine," Celia said coolly. "And you?"

"I'm fine," Bex said. "Can I talk to Andi?"

"Andi?" Celia repeated. "Andi is seven months old, Rebecca. It's not like she can carry on a conversation with you."

"I know," Bex said quickly. "I just... I just want her to hear my voice."

"And confuse her even more?" her mother argued. "No!"

"You can't keep her from me," Bex said, beginning to lose her nerve. "She's still _my _daughter."

"Whom you abandoned!" Celia snapped.

Tears filled Bex's eyes. "Damn it, mom! Let me talk to my daughter now!" she shouted into the phone.

"Fine," her mother sighed. "I'm not going to argue with you." There was a pause, and then she spoke up again. "Andi is on the line. I hope she doesn't talk your ear off."

Bex took a shaky breath. "Andi? It's Mama. Hi, baby girl." She immediately became choked up.

She listened carefully. She could hear soft movement on the other end. "I miss you, Andi," she said, as tears spilled down her cheeks. She sobbed quietly. "I love you so much."

She knew Andi could barely put two syllables together, but part of her hoped Andi would recognize her voice and say something, anything. She waited and waited, gripping the phone receiver as if she were holding onto her daughter, herself.

Minutes passed, and finally, Celia came back on the line. "Andi fell asleep, Rebecca. I'm not going to sit here and let you run up my phone bill, crying to an infant who doesn't even understand what you're saying."

"I have to go anyway," Bex told her.

"Goodbye, Rebecca."

"I'll talk to you soon," she said. "Tell dad hi." She hung up the phone, feeling empty inside.

Emily handed her a tissue. "Here, Bex. Dry your eyes. It's okay."

She accepted the tissue, and dabbed at her tear-stained face. "Andi fell asleep, so I had to hang up."

Her friend placed her hand on her shoulder, attempting to offer her some comfort. "Maybe hearing your voice soothed her?"

Bex shrugged. "She's already forgotten about me. I know she has." She knew that back home, her mother was erasing every memory of her from Andi's life. If she ever saw her again, her daughter would see her as a stranger.

"Don't give up on calling her," Emily said. "She's still yours. Celia can't take away your bond."

"We don't have a bond anymore," Bex sighed, as fresh tears filled her eyes. "I ruined that."

Emily took her in her arms and hugged her close, gently rocking her back and forth to comfort her. "It's going to be okay, Bex," she said, "Just give it time."

"I'd better go," Bex told her, wiping away the last of her tears with the ragged tissue.

"I'll walk you down," Emily said, following her.

Gabriel was still waiting in the parking lot. He looked at her curiously when she and Emily approached him. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"No," Bex said quietly. "I didn't." She turned back to Emily. "Thanks for helping me look."

"I'll let you know if I find it," her friend said. She gave her one more hug. "If you need anything, you know where to find me. Okay?"

"I know," Bex nodded. "I'll see you soon."

* * *

**That night:**

_Bex could hear Andi crying. She rolled out of bed and went to the nursery. "Mama's coming, baby," she said, groggily._

_She went to the crib and frowned, confused. The crib rail was out of place, hanging crookedly on it's track. "Andi?"_

_She screamed in terror. "Andi!"_

_Kneeling down, she loosened the crib rail and pulled Andi out, but the baby was still and silent. "Mom! Dad!" she cried, frantically. "Somebody, help!" _

"Bex!" Gabriel shook Bex's shoulder hard. "Bex, wake up!"

Bex jerked awake, sobbing heavily. Her face was sticky with tears. "What's going on?"

"You were having a nightmare or something," he whispered. "You were screaming and crying about someone named Andy."

Bex rubbed her eyes against the dark, trying to slow her breathing down. This was not good. "I'm sorry I woke you," she apologized.

"It's okay," he said. He reached out to tenderly stroke her hair. "It's not your fault. You can't control your dreams." He paused. "Hey, why don't you come sleep in my bed tonight?"

"No, that's okay," she told him. "I'm fine now." She took a slow, shaky breath.

"Come on," he insisted. "I won't take no for an answer."

"Well, alright," she agreed, climbing off the couch. She followed him to the bedroom, and crawled into his bed beside him. She had to admit, it felt nice to be next to someone, and not alone, haunted by the past.

Gabriel pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead. "You okay now?"

She nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Thanks."

He kissed her again. "Do you want to talk about your dream? It might help to get it off your chest."

She shook her head. "No, thanks. I just want to forget about it." As if that could ever happen.

"Who is Andy? Is he your boyfriend?" Their was a slight, jealous edge to his question.

"No," she said softly. "I really don't want to talk about Andi right now. Please."

He gave her a hurt look in the dark room. "I'm just trying to help."

"I appreciate it," she said, softening the blow. "Really. But I'm just not ready to talk about it right now. Maybe soon, but not yet."

"Whenever you're ready," he said.

* * *

"Bex?"

Bex was snapped out of her thoughts by her mother, waving her hand in front of her face. "Huh? What?"

"You looked like you were a million miles away right now," Celia told her.

"I'm sorry, mom," Bex apologized. "I was just daydreaming, I guess."

"You look exhausted," her mother frowned. "Haven't you been sleeping?"

"I'm fine, mom," Bex said. "Don't worry about me." She studied her mother's face. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Celia said, waving her off.

"Why don't we both punch out a little early today?" Bex offered. "I'm just doing paperwork. I can finish it at home."

"Can we?" Celia asked.

"Go on home, mom," Bex smiled. "Have a cup of tea and relax." She knew her mother was going through a stressful time. She had revealed a few weeks earlier that she and Ham were formally separating. It was sad, and it had been shocking at the time, but it was for the best. Bex had made her peace with it. From what Celia had told her in confidence, it was better if he was out of their lives, especially Andi's.

"I think I'll do just that," her mother nodded. She grabbed her purse and jacket, and left.

With her mother gone, the salon became dead quiet. It had been an unusually slow day, especially for a Friday. Bex almost wished she hadn't chased Celia out so soon, just for the company. Ever since Gabriel had contacted her, she had been jumpy and nervous. And the silence gave her way too much space to think about things.

He hadn't tried to get in touch with her again so far, but every time her phone rang or a notification popped up, her heart rose to her throat with dread. Not knowing what his intentions were was the worst part. What could he want with her after twelve years?

She shook off her dark thoughts, and quickly gathered her things. She could do her paperwork just as easily at home as she could in the salon. She turned off the lights, and locked the door behind her, setting the alarm system.

Main Street was quiet, and she had the feeling someone was watching her, but as she got closer to home, her uneasy feelings started to melt away. It was a beautiful, unseasonably warm winter day, and she was on her way to see her favorite people in the world. Bowie would be home by then. He would be starting dinner, and the apartment would smell delicious. He always greeted her warmly, as if he hadn't seen her in months. Andi would be doing her homework, because it was Friday night, and she was that kind of kid. But Bex could probably coax her into some snuggle time and girl talk. Spending time with her baby made every day better. Andi was her sunshine.

Bex picked up her pace, feeling warm and loved all over. She finally reached the front walk to the apartment and hurried up the steps. "I'm home!" she called out, as she entered the front door. "Andi? Bowie?"

Her smile fell with disappointment when she looked up to see not only Andi sitting on the couch, but Amber.

"Hey, mom!" Andi smiled. "Amber's here. Dad says it's okay if she sleeps over, if it's okay with you."

"That's... _great," _Bex nodded, forcing a smile. "Hey, Amber."

Andi had told her many times that Amber wasn't a bully anymore, but Bex had her doubts. Maybe Andi could forgive and forget. Her, not so much. In her experience, toxic people didn't change that easily. Amber was still the girl who abandoned Andi on top of a ferris wheel, brought her to a high school party in a strange part of town, where there had been alcohol nonetheless, and who had done who knew what else. She couldn't bring herself to like or trust anyone who hurt her daughter, no matter how much she claimed to have changed.

"Hey," Amber said, with a small wave.

"So, is it okay with you?" Andi asked her.

"Sure, I guess so," Bex said, dejectedly. "Where is your dad?"

"He's in the shower," Andi told her. "He just got home a little while ago."

Bex set her bag down and turned down the hall to the bathroom. She gently tapped on the door. "Bowie? It's just me. I'm home."

The bathroom door unlocked. "Come in, honey."

Bex went into the small bathroom. Bowie had a towel wrapped around his waist, and he was shaving in front of the steamed-up mirror. He wiped his face off with a towel, and leaned down to kiss her.

"How dare you look so sexy when I'm annoyed with you," she teased, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Bowie pulled her closer and kissed her again. "And what did I do to annoy you?"

Bex sighed. It really was hard to stay mad at him, especially when he was warm and fresh from the shower, and half naked. "Let's see... inviting that little monster to sleep over without asking me? You _know _how I feel about her."

"I didn't really _invite _her," he said. "Andi put me on the spot, and you know I can't say no to that kid. _But, _I told her to ask you first. Did she?"

"You know I can't say no to her either," Bex said with another sigh. "But you could have at least texted me. I would have picked up some holy water on the way home."

Bowie laughed, pulling her closer and kissing the tip of her nose. "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled.

* * *

"I'm bored," Andi mumbled, resting her chin in her hand. "Let's do something."

"Like what?" Amber asked, sitting next to her on the bed. They'd been staring at the wall for five minutes already. "There's _nothing_ to do."

"Maybe my mom will give us makeovers?" Andi suggested, perking up. "I'll ask her."

Amber's blue eyes widened. "No way I'm letting her touch my face again!"

Andi sighed. "Are you ever going to get over that? She didn't _mean _to wax your eyebrow off."

The other girl snickered. "I can't help but think you'd feel differently if it were _your _eyebrow."

"Fine, no makeovers," Andi relented. "But we still have nothing to do." She paused thoughtfully for another moment. "Maybe my dad has some ideas? Come on."

She grabbed Amber's hand and pulled her into the living room. They found Bowie tuning his guitar, and Bex sitting on the couch, with paperwork spread out around her. "Dad, we're bored. What can we do?"

_"Bored?!" _Bowie cried dramatically, teasing them. "Well, we can't have that." He rubbed his chin. "Hmm... why don't you guys bake something?"

"I don't know how to bake," Andi said, unsure.

"I can bake a little bit," Amber offered. "I know how to make brownies, and peanut butter cookies."

"Why don't you whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies?" Bowie suggested. "It will be fun, I happen to know they're your mom's favorite, and we have some mix in the cupboard."

"Yes!" Bex teased, looking up from her work. "Make me cookies!"

Laughing, Bowie patted Bex's knee, then nudged the girls toward the kitchen.

* * *

Bex sighed, raking her fingers through her hair. The girls were occupied, thanks to Bowie, but they were making enough noise to wake the dead, banging pans around and singing at the top of their lungs to music. She was glad they were having fun, and the apartment _did _smell like baking cookies, but she wouldn't have complained if they had chosen to do something quieter.

"I don't think you're going to get much work done tonight," Bowie said, joining her on the couch. He began massaging her shoulders, gently working out the tension.

"No kidding," she said, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch.

"I hate to see you so stressed out," he offered. "Why don't you take a break, and we can do something fun for a while?"

She set her pen down. "What do you have in mind?"

He paused thoughtfully, his hands cupping her shoulders. "Maybe we can convince the girls to play a board game or something?"

"A board game?" she asked, skeptically. In her experience as the mother of a young teen, things like that just didn't hold kids' attention anymore. Not unless they came with a charger and connected to WiFi.

"Sure," he said. "Remember how my family used to have game nights? My dad called it 'forced family fun.'" He chuckled at the memory and sighed. "I kind of want Andi to have that."

She smiled. She remembered playing games with Bowie and his family on Saturday nights. Cookie would always make homemade pizza, and popcorn, or ice cream sundaes. Those were some of her best memories. "Remember how your dad used to get so into charades?"

Bowie laughed. "Especially movie titles. I don't think there was a movie he hadn't seen."

Bex leaned back, resting her head against Bowie's chest. She was a soft touch for him, and she could tell this meant a lot to him, staying connected to his father through his love for his own child. "I guess we could give it a try," she finally agreed.

He bent down and kissed the top of her head. "That's the spirit." He called out toward the kitchen. "Girls? Come here a sec."

Andi and Amber came in. "What, dad?" Andi asked. Her nose was smudged with flour.

"We're going to try something fun," he said, brushing her nose clean. "We're going to have a family game night."

"Games?" Andi frowned skeptically. "What kind of games?"

"Well, let's see what we've got." He went to the hall closet. He knew Bex had stored some of her old things in there, before Celia could throw them out, just in case Andi ever wanted them. He began rummaging through the shelves. "Candy Land?"

"Dad, that's a baby game," Andi groaned.

"Monopoly?"

"Nothing with math!" she cried.

"Twister?"

"No!" Bex called. "My body does not bend like that any more."

"Okay," he sighed. "We're down to two options. The jigsaw puzzle Cece gave us for Christmas, and Pictionary."

"Pictionary it is, then," Andi said, sitting down on the couch. Amber joined her. "How do you play?"

"I'll explain the rules while your mom orders us a pizza," he said, opening the game box.

* * *

After he explained everything, and the pizza had arrived and the cookies were cool, they all gathered around the coffee table. "So, we just have to decide who our teams are," he told them.

"How about me and Amber against you and mom?" Andi suggested. "Kids versus senior citizens."

Bex gasped dramatically and whacked Andi with a throw pillow. "You little turd!" she laughed.

Andi and Amber burst into a fit of giggles.

"You be on my team, Andi," Bex pleaded.

Her daughter looked unsure. "No offense, mom, but you're not the best at drawing."

"She has a point," Bowie teased. "Not it!"

"I'm not a very good artist either," Amber admitted, playing with the ring she wore on her index finger.

"That's okay, honey," Bowie said, kindly. "We just like to pick on Bex. It's not about who's better at drawing. It's supposed to be fun." He smiled. "Tell you what. You and I will be a team."

Amber looked up, smiling. "Okay. Thanks Mr. Mack."

"Call me Bowie," he said, moving aside to make room for her.

"Guess that leaves you and me, kid," Bex said, as Andi sat down next to her. "I hope the excitement doesn't make me break a hip."

Andi rolled her eyes. "You're going down," she told her father and Amber. "Mom and I have mother-daughter telepathy on our side."

"We'll see about that," Bowie winked.

They flipped a coin to decide who would go first, and Andi and Bex's team won. Andi took up a marker and a pad of paper. Bowie flipped the little hourglass over, and she began to draw.

She quickly sketched a shape that looked like an inverted V, and started cross-hatching it with lines. Bex knew what it was right away, the Eiffel tower, and she called out her answer.

"That's right!" Andi cried.

"Point for us," Bex boasted, glancing at Bowie and Amber.

"I wouldn't get too cocky yet," Bowie said. "We might surprise you." He picked up his pad of paper and drew a card.

The timer had barely been started when Amber shouted, "Toothbrush!"

"You got it!" Bowie held his hand up. "High five!"

Amber slapped his hand, smiling happily.

"That's a point for_ us,"_ Bowie bragged.

It was Bex's turn next, and Andi handed her the pad and marker. She looked at her card and smiled, as Andi set the timer. She started sketching an cylindrical shape, and a tip with a soft point.

Andi studied the drawing, frowning. "Mom, what the _heck?"_

"Guess!" Bex hissed, glancing at the timer.

Andi blushed red, wrinkling her nose. "It looks like a... _boy's part." _

Bex lowered her marker in disgust. "It does not!"

"Yeah it does," Andi giggled.

"Time's up," Bowie said. "Sorry, guys."

"What was it supposed to be anyway?" Andi asked, turning her head to the side, to look at it from a different angle.

"Lipstick," Bex said. "Anyone could see that!"

"I would have guessed it was a pocket knife," Bowie offered.

The game went on, with Amber and Bowie in the lead, and becoming more obnoxious about it with each turn.

"It's like we can read each other's mind," Bowie told Amber, giving her yet another high five.

"Speaking of which, shouldn't our mother-daughter telepathy be kicking in by now?" Bex asked Andi.

"Hey! _My_ drawings are excellent!" Andi told her. _"They _just pick all the easy words."

In the end, Amber and Bowie won, by a wide margin. Bowie gave Amber a hug. "Good job, kid!"

"It was really fun," Amber told him, her eyes sparkling. "My family never does things like this. And Bex's drawings were hilarious." She giggled.

Bowie chuckled. "How'd you like her duck?" he asked, elbowing her in the ribs.

Amber snorted back a laugh.

"Is this gang-up-on-Bex night?" Bex cried, throwing her hands in the air and pretending to be angry.

"We still love you, mom," Andi said, giving her a tight hug. "And I thought your duck was cute."

"Oh, you thought it was a boomerang," she pouted, but she kissed the side of Andi's head anyway.

"Tell you what," Bowie said. "How about the winners take care of the clean up?"

"That actually does help," she said, reclining on the sofa. "Have at it, you two."

Bowie stood up and started gathering the empty pizza box. Amber carefully put the game away, then went to the kitchen to help him clear everyone's plates.

"You don't really have to help, honey," Bowie said, turning toward her. "You're our guest. I'll take care of this."

"I don't mind," Amber told him.

"It's really okay," he said, patting her shoulder. "Go ahead in the living room, and you and Andi can put a movie on. I've got this."

"Well, okay," she said, suddenly shy.

She went to the couch, where Andi was looking for something to watch, and sat down. Softly, she stroked her shoulder, where Bowie had touched her.

They finally agreed on a movie, and Andi started it up.

During the movie, Andi glanced over at Amber. Her friend wasn't even paying attention to what was happening on the screen.

She followed Amber's gaze to the kitchen, where Bowie was washing dishes.


End file.
